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BREAKING OUT: (FROM LEFT)ANDERS JONES, JULIA WISS AND LUIS F. ROSA

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS LEAD THE WAYTHE 40 PEOPLE PROFILED on the following pages illustrate the talent of young advisers and associated profes-sionals who are strengthening the finan-cial advice industry. Their accomplish-ments, all achieved before the age of 40, are inspirational and suggest a bright future for this profession.

In addition to their personal accom-plishments, the individuals chosen for our 2019 class of 40 Under 40, as with those in our five previous classes, have contributed meaningfully to the advice industry and show exceptional leader-ship and promise.

Our list this year includes entrepreneurs who have started their own advice firms as well as next-gen talent making their way up the ladder at some of the nation’s largest brokerage and planning firms.

Nearly all of our under 40s give generously of themselves, pro-moting the financial planning profession or providing their service, through nonprofits and other groups, to better the financial health of their communities.

Get energized as you read through these pages, and go to Invest-mentNews.com/40 to learn even more about the exceptional indi-viduals of our 2019 class with videos, interactive graphics and more.

— Liz Skinner

Photography by Brad Trend

What better way to really get to know our 40s than

interactively online? Go to InvestmentNews.com/40 to find fun facts, stats, videos and longer profiles of these

next-gen leaders.

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KATHRYN BROWN applies a rigorous, data-driven process to financial planning. “We have strong discipline around our calendars so we can reflect and analyze the time we spend in front of clients and prospects,” Ms. Brown said.

With some $120 million in assets under management since the 2018 inception of Allentown, Pa.-based Morton Brown Family Wealth, she’s also a stickler for exploring all facets of a client’s wealth, and not just obvious goals such as retirement.

“Some of the softer components, like family communication, are often overlooked,” Ms. Brown said.

She’s also passionate about changing how advice is delivered. “My conversations are driven by the best path forward for my client, whether it’s paying down debt or increasing savings for a goal, rather than advice that’s product-driven,” Ms. Brown said.

Her charitable efforts include Valley Youth House, which helps children who are aging out of the foster system develop necessary life skills. She’s also a Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards mentor, guiding aspiring female CFPs who are overwhelmed by the curriculum and exam.

— Juliette Fairley

ANJALI JARIWALA launched Fit Advisors, a solo practice in Redondo Beach, Calif., nearly four years ago, after working as a CPA in the corporate tax department at a large RIA.

In February, Ms. Jariwala, whose AUM is $25 million, started a podcast called “Money Checkup” that has been downloaded by 1,300 people. She is concerned with racial equality in the advisory profession.

“Retaining diverse advisers requires fostering an environment in which they can succeed,” she said. “I know from my own experience that when we leave, it’s usually due to frustration at the lack of growth and opportunity.”

Ms. Jariwala serves on the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors’ diversity and inclusion committee, helping to provide scholarships for people of color to attend the spring and fall conferences.

“Having a diverse staff must be intentional,” she said. “It requires time, money, effort and a shift in think-ing to reduce implicit bias.”


RYAN BROWN is in his 10th year at Goldman Sachs, where he advises ultra-high-net-worth individuals such as founders of multibillion-dollar businesses and professional athletes.

“We have under-40 clients running successful unicorn businesses, and they’ve found it pretty nice to have an ad-viser who is a similar age,” said Mr. Brown, whose average client account size ranges from $10 million to $60 million.

Because advising, like most sports, requires a team, he equates his work to playing soccer locally in a men’s league in Santa Monica.

“There’s 11 people on a soccer field working together to achieve an objective,” said Mr. Brown, who started playing the sport when he was just 4 years old. “It’s no different than Goldman Sachs where, without my colleagues, it would be tough to support and ensure my clients’ happiness.”

In addition to being a Goldman Sachs partner on the se-nior team in Los Angeles with more than $2 billion in assets under management, Mr. Brown acts as a mentor through the U.S. Soccer Foundation.

“It’s wonderful to see children who are underserved using sports as an educational tool for life,” he said.


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KATHRYN M. BROWNFOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL, MORTON BROWN FAMILY WEALTH

ANJALI JARIWALAFOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL, FIT ADVISORS

RYAN BROWNVICE PRESIDENT, GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.

MARK A. CECCHINISENIOR ASSOCIATE, WEALTH MANAGEMENT, ASPIRIANT

MARK CECCHINI started his financial advising journey 10 years ago when he joined the financial planning track as a sophomore in college. After graduation, he spent almost five years working his way up the ranks at a regional registered investment adviser before moving to Aspiriant to broaden his skills working with ultra-high-net-worth clients and to learn more about business development.

Mr. Cecchini has been very active as an emerging leader in the profession, serving as FPA NexGen co-director for both the D.C. and Los Angeles chapters and coordinating study groups, annual retreats and days of service.

There can be a disconnect between younger and older advisers, he said.“Younger advisers may have expectations that are too high, especially when com-

paring with friends in other industries. It’s a slower burn [in advising],” Mr. Cecchini said. “They are also coming from more of a fee-only versus sales mindset. They’re not taught business development or networking.”

What do younger advisers need most?“A framework, a career path,” he said. “They want to know: How do I get promoted?

Get a raise? How or who do we ask? What are realistic expectations for advancements — five years, 15 years? How do I navigate internal firm dynamics?”

— Deborah Nason

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AFTER WORKING with lawyers at the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Switzerland and at a law firm, Daniel Catone became a solo adviser. By 2005, he had launched Redwood Investments, a private wealth management company.

Mr. Catone subsequently pioneered a firm, Golden State Wealth Management, whose structure is based on a model he’d seen attorneys use: Advisers own their practice and book of business, as well as a share of the overarching registered investment adviser.

“It’s equal to their assets under management participation,” Mr. Catone said. “We don’t dilute value by adding more advisers.”

Since then, Mr. Catone has created two more RIAs, and his enterprise now manages more than $1.5 billion.

In his free time, he works pro bono for Catholic enti-ties. And this year, he is graduating from the Augustine Institute with a master's degree in theology.

Mr. Catone focuses on his clients’ values.“I coordinate a client’s investment management so

that it achieves those values first and foremost,” he said. — Juliette Fairley

“MY GOAL is to leave you better than I found you,” Sidney Divine said.

Mr. Divine was born into a privileged life in Liberia, where his father owned a bank. But his family fled the country in 2001 in the wake of a civil war.

In the United States, his entrepreneur father worked day and night to launch a new and ulti-mately successful business in a different industry.

Similar to his father, Mr. Divine embraces opportu-nities with fervor. He found quick success at his previous corporate finance job. And he has fearless cold-calling abilities, which he has even used to reach out to successful advisers to see what he could learn from them.

On one of these calls, he heard about the George Kinder concept of life planning, which Mr. Divine calls “the biggest ‘aha’ moment of my career.” He went on to earn the registered life planner designation and has become a national speaker on the discipline.

It has had a great impact on his life, which he imparts to his clients.“Now I’m super chill. It’s not about the day-to-day grind,” Mr. Divine said. “You have

to stop and smell the roses and be more balanced.” — Deborah Nason

LISA CRAFFORD gained valuable insights into careers when she worked for nearly three years as a recruiter at Robert Half International. Since 2015, she’s been sharing those insights with clients of BNY Mellon Pershing’s Advisor Solutions. She has con-ducted 55 client engagements, consulting on issues such as developing a competitive business strategy and doing acquisitions.

Ms. Crafford, who founded PershingNEXT, an MBA-style development program for millennials and Gen Xers, tries to ask probing questions, such as whether someone wants to become a full-time CEO eventually or to advance at the adviser level.

“That dialogue helps determine what their trajectory should be,” she said.She travels 35 times a year from her Orlando, Fla., home to advance the advisory pro-

fession. Her trips include an annual consultation with students at Utah Valley University about interviewing style, salary negotiations and career management.

“Ten years ago, students didn’t graduate from financial planning programs with a career in back-office operations in mind, but for some, their personality and skill sets are well-aligned for a role in operations,” said Ms. Crafford, who launched Pershing’s college student program to help undergraduates navigate the advisory profession. “Working on the operations side of the industry is going to be more interesting and challenging as firms grow bigger and more complex.”


MATT COSGRIFFWEALTH MANAGEMENT GROUP LEADER, BERGANKDV WEALTH MANAGEMENT

LISA CRAFFORDVICE PRESIDENT, RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT, BNY MELLON PERSHING

DANIEL ROBERT CATONEFOUNDER AND CEO, GOLDEN STATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT

SIDNEY R. DIVINEFOUNDER, DIVINE WEALTH STRATEGIES

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THROUGH HARD work and the power of the pen, Matt Cosgriff is creating a ripple effect at his firm and in the industry. As leader of the wealth management division of BerganKDV, he oversees a team of 25.

“I get a lot of energy around leading a team," Mr. Cosgriff said. “It can multiply your impact.”

He has also been increasing his impact by implementing and sharing new ideas. When he joined the firm five years ago, he was invited to build and launch an internal practice to serve Gen X and Gen Y clients, in addition to working on retirement plans.

Mr. Cosgriff, who aspires to be an industry thought leader, has shared his experienc-es as an “intrapreneur” by blogging, podcasting for the XY Planning Network and speak-ing at national and regional conferences. He discusses issues such as branding, service models, the cost of client acquisition and the need for a long-term internal commitment.

“There’s been a lot of industry conversation regarding next-gen advisers serving next-gen clients," he said. “What’s less discussed is how larger organizations do that.”

“It’s only getting harder to recruit,” Mr. Cosgriff said, “and you have to have a pretty compelling [offering] to keep young talent.”

— Deborah Nason


SPANNING THE NATION

IT’S NO WONDER Kendra Erkamaa became a financial adviser: When she was a child, she witnessed adults struggling financially.

“I want to empower others so that they financially grow,” said Ms. Erkamaa, who purchased Triangle Financial Services in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2007, after having joined the firm just two years earlier. Since then, she has increased the firm’s assets under management to $100 million.

As a certified divorce financial analyst, she often works with lawyers. “Divorce can be collaborative rather than confrontational in nature,” said Ms. Erka-

maa, who serves on the Grievance Commission of the Iowa Supreme Court, reviewing complaints against attorneys. “I like to know lawyers are upholding ethical standards.”

Among her many charitable pursuits is budget counseling for women at the non-profit Beacon of Life shelter.

“Financially, we all want the same things,” she said. “They may manifest differently, but it all ties into our humanity.”


INSPIRED BY a financial planning class in college, Adam Glassberg entered the industry after grad-uation and is now an adviser with Savant Capital Management.

He also served as the first chairman of the Financial Planning Association's Chicago chapter NexGen community and took on an industry chal-lenge — the lack of a well-defined or appropriate career path for new graduates.

“For a lot of companies, the training program is backward, because the first thing they teach new recruits is to sell, and the education component comes second,” he said.

To address this, Mr. Glassberg formalized a multiyear career development program within his firm, consisting of four parts:

• Stage 1 (two to three years): training in financial planning and related software, obtain-ing the CFP certification, learning how to interact with clients.

• Stage 2 (about three years): reviewing financial plans for errors and enhancements, becoming a lead adviser, working with colleagues, choosing a specialty.

• Stage 3 (two to three years): servicing clients, learning sales and business devel-opment techniques to build a book of business, developing a niche or skill set (Mr. Glassberg’s niche is young medical professionals).

• Stage 4: participating in equity ownership as a key decision-maker for firm-wide objectives.

“Going through it myself, I was equipped with the knowledge and the confidence to serve clients,” he said.

— Deborah Nason

VALERIE GALINSKAYAMANAGING DIRECTOR, MERRILL LYNCH, BANK OF AMERICA

ADAM GLASSBERGFINANCIAL ADVISER, SAVANT CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

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KENDRA ERKAMAAPRESIDENT AND PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL ADVISER, TRIANGLE FINANCIAL SERVICES

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VALERIE GALINSKAYA said she found her calling 10 years ago when she heard a panel of wealthy clients respond to the question, "What keeps you up at night?"

Ms. Galinskaya, 33, said everyone on the panel gave a variation of the same answer: "The impact of wealth on my family and community."

As managing director of Merrill Lynch’s Center for Family Wealth Dynamics and Gov-ernance, Ms. Galinskaya is dedicated to identifying and addressing the intergeneration-al challenges faced by wealthy families. Significant wealth brings significant complexity, she said, which in turn can cause family stress. The center conducts research, facili-tates family meetings and communication, and provides financial education.

Ms. Galinskaya’s goals include bringing financial literacy and a sense of empower-ment to the next generation and identifying best practices to help clients understand the challenges of sustaining unity as a family. Parents need to translate their values and how they apply to areas like philanthropic, financial and estate planning.

“Defining the purpose of success and then communicating that with the family are critical to making effective decisions,” she said.

— Deborah Nason

WHERE OuR 40s HAIL FROM

15%MIDWEST

18%SOUTH

30%WEST

37%NORTHEAST


COMING OUT of college in 2009 right after the financial crisis had hit, Anders Jones faced a difficult job market. So he joined a start-up, LiveRamp, which was sold for $310 million in 2014. That led him to invest in and manage other start-ups in a number of industries.

In 2016, he and others founded an RIA, Facet Wealth, with $33 million of start-up capital.

What led him to financial services?“We said, ‘Let’s find a substantial industry going

through a big change where we can build a long-term business,’” Mr. Jones said. “We took notice of robo [start-up funding] raises and when we dug into it we learned about a massively underserved population — the mass affluent market.”

Facet Wealth employs nine full-time CFPs who work remotely with clients (currently about 500). The service is financial planning-based but investment management is also available, and is supported by monthly subscrip-tion fees starting at $40 a month and continuing upward for clients with more complex needs.

“We actually turn away high-net-worth clients. We’re not competing with anyone in the industry,” Mr. Jones said. “It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever worked on.”

— Deborah Nason

WITHIN 18 MONTHS of becoming a CFP and join-ing Mercer Advisors in 2015, Alise Kraus was onboard-ing an average of eight new clients every 30 days.

“I drove 2,200 miles a month,” she said. “I worked 65 hours a week and spoke at seminars with my colleagues.”

When she is not meeting with clients throughout northern California, Nevada and Oregon, she’s giving back at her firm in a pro-gram launched to attract and retain top female adviser talent.

“Focusing on behavioral coaching and family relationships is making a difference,” she said.

Ms. Kraus, who is the branch manager at Mercer's Walnut Creek, Calif., office, has taught financial literacy to the incarcerated at correctional facilities, and serves on the board of the FPA in California, discussing policy making with lawmakers that will benefit the elderly.

“We arrange things so that our aging clients have independence but also protection by simplifying, consolidating and educating,” she said. “We gather a sense of the family relationships before the parent is unable to make their own decisions.”


WHEN CHARLOTTE Geletka started her career, the managing partner of Silver Pen-ny Financial Planning in Atlanta wore masculine gray and black suits.

“I wanted to look like my male colleagues because I am so different,” she said. “I was young, blonde and female in the South.”

Now a few years older, Ms. Geletka confidently wears pink when attending advisory meetings even though the other particpants are predominantly successful male finan-cial advisers.

“I bought my father’s practice in 2016 and it was a definitive moment,” she said. “I had 12 years of success behind me. I decided to no longer try to be like everyone else.”

“I weathered a pretty tough storm,” she said of rebranding her father’s advisory business.

Last year, Ms. Geletka was one of the winners in the Circle of Excellence for Women in Financial Services contest sponsored by Women in Insurance & Financial Services.


ANDERS JONESCEO, FACET WEALTH

ALISE C. KRAUSCLIENT ADVISER AND BRANCH MANAGER, MERCER ADVISORS

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MATT HAGHIGHI never thought he would use his web development expertise again even though the skill set helped pay his expenses at the University of California, Irvine.

But after graduating with a double major in business economics and political sci-ence, becoming an adviser and launching a financial advisory firm catering to millen-nials in 2014, Betterment Institutional’s Steve Lockshin made Mr. Haghighi an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“I lead the digital strategy team in building out tools and technology for advisers,” Mr. Haghighi said.

By 2017, the hiking enthusiast had founded Finovo, a technology marketing company that assists large RIAs to position, market and brand themselves for next-generation clients. “We also step in and advise firms when we detect inefficiencies in their tech-nology,” he said.

Concurrently, the 27-year-old embraced his inner underdog and launched MasonPay, a fintech app that is so far helping 3,000 users pay off some $40 million in debt with a monthly plan that works within their budget while minimizing interest paid.

“We plan to introduce automated payments and the ability to help users who have successfully paid off their high-interest debt begin saving and investing,” he said.


MATT HAGHIGHIFOUNDER, FINOVO AND MASONPAY

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CHARLOTTE C. GELETKAMANAGING PARTNER, SILVER PENNY FINANCIAL PLANNING

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WHILE WORKING at Credit Suisse as an equity derivatives broker, Barbara Ginty found herself helping friends and family members on the side with their finances.

So, she left Wall Street, became a CFP and bought her family’s advisory practice in 2013. Her firm, Independent Financial Services of Kingston, N.Y., is affiliated with LPL Financial.

Ms. Ginty sits on the LPL Advisor Council, making suggestions to executives about programming, communications, corporate strategy, products and services.

She teaches personal finance classes in the continuing education department of the State University of New York, Ulster.

“I donate the earnings I receive ... to the college,” said Ms. Ginty, who also teaches pro bono classes on employee benefits to the staff of the local school district, and county and state workers.

Ms. Ginty teaches financial literacy subjects through her educational arm, Planancial Inc., with a weekly podcast called #Future Rich that gets 2,000 plays a month. She informs millennial women on earnings, debt, saving and how to achieve their financial goals.

“There’s not a lot of women advisers, so targeting and guiding them in a safe and non-judgmental space can improve their finances,” she said.


JEFF KRAUSE has an interesting way of teaching financial literacy. For the past sev-en years, the Morgan Stanley adviser has taught more than 1,000 couples the virtues of sound personal finance as part of a marriage preparation course.

Mr. Krause covers topics such as budgeting, creating a net worth statement, finan-cial decision-making, and how to pick a financial adviser in the course, which is run by the Catholic Archdiocese in Milwaukee.

What’s the impact of these presentations?“If you can send that many people off in the right direction ... think about the posi-

tive effect not only on their lives, but also on their loved ones," Mr. Krause said. "It will help each person be a better parent, a better kid. They feel more secure."

“We’re on the forefront of what it means to be an adviser. We want to add as much value as we possibly can – to be a resource you can tap into for anything in your life,” said Mr. Krause.

— Deborah Nason

WHEN SCOTT FRANK hung out his shingle four years ago, he joined the XY Planning Network to gain assistance in areas such as compliance and technology. He was so impressed and appreciative of their help that he volunteered at the fledg-ling network, working to establish partnerships with eMoney Advisor, Dimensional Fund Advisors and the Kinder Institute of Life Planning.

Mr. Frank said the No. 1 priority in preparing for the future of the industry should be creating an apprenticeship-type program for new financial planners.

“Kids come out with general knowledge but don’t have soft skills and communication skills,” he said. “There’s a gap that needs to be filled. For example, we could do something similar to a medical residency.”

Mr. Frank’s approach is to pay it forward to the industry; he also serves on NAPFA’s leadership development committee.

“It’s ingrained in us as planners to help others out,” he said. — Deborah Nason

AS AN UNDERGRADUATE, Benjamin Franklin Cummings tried engineering and then psychology as he searched for a career path that felt right. A chance meeting with a financial advis-er helped him identify the way to go.

“Financial advising combines analytical skills and social involvement,” Mr. Cummings said.

After college, his plan to get a master’s in financial planning in order to practice turned into a Ph.D. that led to a career in academia. Accepting a virtual position with The American College in 2016 enabled him to take on hands-on work as well. He joined Blue Barn in 2017.

“I love the combination of the two jobs. It gives me credibility in the classroom by giving real-life context, and the classroom experience helps me better educate my clients,” said Mr. Cummings, who is also the editor of the Journal of Personal Finance.

He is gratified that behavioral finance is playing a larger role in the industry.“In professional education, a lot of the teaching is on strategies,” he said. “But

there’s a growing focus on helping people achieve their goals. We need to ask them, ‘What’s going to help you have a more meaningful life?’”

— Deborah Nason

SCOTT R. FRANKFOUNDER, STONE STEPS FINANCIAL

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN CUMMINGSASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BEHAVIORAL FINANCE, THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND PARTNER, BLUE BARN WEALTH

JEFFREY J. KRAUSEFIRST VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCIAL ADVISER, MORGAN STANLEY

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BARBARA GINTYPRESIDENT, INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES

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FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK: 9%

LINKEDIN: 8%

INSTAGRAM: 12%

TWITTER: 9%


GROWING UP around firefighters, C.J. Harrison saw many instances where the first responders were financially unprepared for potentially disabling on-the-job injuries or unanticipated medical retirements.

“There was no defined path to what was next,” said the vice president of Decision-Point Financial. “You think it will never happen to you.”

Since 2015, he’s been helping firefighter families protect their assets and plan for the unexpected with a practice model that provides them unlimited, in-person access to financial planning as a benefit of their participation in their fire district retirement plan, regardless of account size. Focusing only on a certain region of Washington state, Mr. Harrison and his team manage the 457(b) retirement accounts of 10 fire districts, and they are adding more.

They literally do house calls, providing financial planning that includes data-gathering and a one-page scorecard with recommended short-term action items. The emphasis is on “super high-touch, high-service,” Mr. Harrison said.

Revenue is based on fees from managing retirement plans collectively, and rep-resents about a third of the practice.

“We’ve got economies of scale, but we’re very specific who we work with,” Mr. Harrison said. “It’s one of the small ways we can serve our communities’ heroes.”

— Deborah Nason

WHILE CHLOE MCKENZIE worked on Wall Street as a securitized products trader at JPMorgan, helping high-net-worth clients gain more wealth, she spent the weekends vol-unteering as a financial counselor at a nearby homeless shelter. After that experience, she took her career as a registered investment adviser in an entirely new direction.

“Wealth managers and financial advisers are the most equipped individuals to close the wealth gap,” she said. “We are able to teach people who lack knowledge.”

In 2015, Ms. McKenzie founded the nonprofit BlackFem to introduce financial literacy to some of the most disadvantaged school districts nationwide.

“I want to transform learning, with a particular focus on women and girls of color since they are the most disadvantaged group from an economic and wealth perspec-tive,” she said.

Ms. McKenzie subsequently launched the advisory practice On a Wealth Kick, through which she also consults with banks and financial institutions interested in financial inclu-sion as a way to end wealth inequality and poverty.

“Advisers can be the change agent for the type of systemic shift that we all hopefully want for our country and our world,” she said.


“I’M NOT AFRAID to ‘go there’ and have the types of conversations that other people aren’t com-fortable having,” said Tom Love, senior vice president with The Main Street Group and a Dave Ramsey SmartVestor Pro.

Drawing from his personal experience with depres-sion and loss, he connects with clients on an emotion-al level. As one who specializes in working with people getting ready to retire or already there, Mr. Love is aware of the sometimes higher rates of depression in retired people, and includes the topic of mental health in client discussions.

“Depression is a tricky thing,” he said. “It plays tricks on your relationships; physical, mental and spiri-tual health; and on your work or education.”

Not only has he been extremely successful, bring-ing more than 100 families into the practice over the past two years, but Mr. Love is a tireless volunteer for his community. He teaches financial literacy to high school students, among several other volunteer efforts.

— Deborah Nason

PHUONG LUONG, the daughter of Vietnamese immi-grants, has dedicated herself to disseminating the idea of culturally proficient financial services — those that incorporate, for example, education about structural poverty issues that impede wealth creation.

“I want to help financial planners feel more fluent and comfortable talking about financial history in relation to our work,” said Ms. Luong, 33, founder of Just Wealth.

For example, she wants advisers to be aware of the generational impact on people of color, of barriers such as discriminatory mortgage lending practices and the systemic tax advantages that have helped white homeowners retain wealth. Sharing and acknowledging this history will help alleviate the shame that people with lower wealth sometimes feel, Ms. Luong said.

A former teacher, she serves on the CFP Board’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council, and is vice chair of the board’s Council on Education, assisting in the develop-ment of educational standards and certification requirements for all CFP professionals.

She is also interested in socially responsible investing and racial justice investing. “I want to look at, how do we align our investments to help close racial and gender

wealth divides?” Ms. Luong said.— Deborah Nason

TOM LOVESENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND PARTNER, THE MAIN STREET GROUP

PHUONG LUONGFOUNDER AND FINANCIAL PLANNER, JUST WEALTH

C.J. HARRISONVICE PRESIDENT, DECISIONPOINT FINANCIAL

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CHLOE MCKENZIE CEO, BLACKFEM AND ON A WEALTH KICK

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JASON MOORE joined Riegel Financial in 2016 as one of three partners sharing in revenue.

“I merged with the accounting and investment man-agement practice to create a team,” Mr. Moore said.

Since then firm revenue has reportedly seen healthy growth — up 36.3% in 2017 and 32% last year.

In addition to bringing financial planning ser-vices to the Dayton, Ohio firm, he is charged with building and incorporating a successful service model that caters to aging clients’ adult children poised to gain from generational wealth transfer.

“If you wait for these younger people to actually inherit wealth, you're going to be too late,” he said.

Mr. Moore is building relationships with heirs and beneficiaries by inviting them to events and creating financial plans for them now.

His commitment to the next generation extends to volunteer work with several organizations. With the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Foun-dation’s Invest It Forward, Mr. Moore speaks to students from second grade to high school.

“What’s emerged is getting more involved in the community and gaining visibility for the firm,” Mr. Moore said.


WHAT STARTED as a summer job at Vantage Point Financial for Ashley Ott eventually lead to a financial advising career.

“There's quite a bit of psychology when it comes to working with clients,” said Ms. Ott, who graduated from Harvard University with a psychology degree in 2011. “Money is an extremely emotional topic.”

Some seven years later, Ms. Ott is still working with the firm's founder David Griswold in Boston and has helped triple AUM to $85 million. She was named a partner in 2017.

“David and I are not sole practitioners,” Ms. Ott said. “We have a single book. Everything is run through the company and gets paid out by ownership.”

When she is not prospecting for new clients on frequent flights to and from Seattle, where her husband, Tyler, plays for the Seahawks, Ms. Ott lectures other advisers about the “path to partnership.”

“If the senior adviser expects double what you project, a partnership may not hap-pen,” she said. “Make sure your goals align.”

On Saturday mornings, Ms. Ott helps train students for the Providence Marathon with the nonprofit Dreamfar. And the help she offers isn't just about running.

“We discuss high school challenges, mentor them about applying to colleges and guide them through difficult adolescent decisions.”


AS SUSTAINABLE in-vesting gains momentum among advisers’ clients, Max Mintz is increasingly involved.

“We engage in client-driven advocacy so that when they come to us with sustainability issues, we can be cham-pions for them,” said Mr. Mintz, partner and CIO at Common Interests, a hybrid firm in Metuchen, N.J.

He offers his advisory firm’s services to those with low assets on an hourly basis, depending on income, while high-net-worth clients are charged based on assets under management.

“Our mission is to democratize impact investing,” Mr. Mintz said.Common Interests was certified as a B-Corp, after nonprofit B-Lab’s free

assessment, which certifies the impact that companies have on their work-ers, customers, suppliers, the community and the environment.

“Our company operates at the same high standards we hold our invest-ments to,” Mr. Mintz said.

That standard includes operating the office on wind power and offering free financial planning to federal employees who were without pay when the government shut down earlier this year.

“It’s the least the firm can do, because federal government employees should not bear the brunt of political brinkmanship,” Mr. Mintz said.


NINA STAPLES LLOYD, recently appointed CEO and president of her father’s Opus Financial Advisors in Chapel Hill, N.C., believes investing is an art, not a science.

A certified financial planner and chartered retirement planning counselor, Ms. Lloyd has grown assets under management by $70 mil-lion in the last five years. She creates a custom investment policy statement for each family she advises.

“The document creates guardrails with parameters,” she said. Ms. Lloyd is also an advocate for yearly family meetings to facilitate the

amicable distribution of assets for aging clients.“We not only talk about money,” she said. “We discuss advance medical

directives, because end-of-life care creates family division as much as money does,” she said.

Donating a column that’s published in local newspapers, such as the Statesville Record & Landmark, furthers her financial literacy goals.

“I try to write about financial topics in an entertaining way that keeps read-ers engaged and makes them eager to read and learn more,” Ms. Lloyd said.

She volunteers with several organizations, including PEO International, which supports women’s education internationally.


JASON MOOREWEALTH ADVISER, RIEGEL FINANCIAL

ASHLEY OTTPARTNER, VANTAGE POINT FINANCIAL

NINA STAPLES LLOYDCEO AND PRESIDENT, OPUS FINANCIAL ADVISORS

MAX MINTZPARTNER AND FINANCIAL ADVISER, COMMON INTERESTS

3330

39 31HOURS WORKED

PER WEEK

30-392%

60-6918%

40-4942%

70+8%

50-5930%

20 | INVESTMENTNEWS JuNE 17, 2019

WHEN JULIA WISS was forced to choose between management and be-ing an adviser while working at Waddell & Reed, she chose the leadership track.

“I was overseeing about 25 advisers, doing advice, development and recruit-ing as well as growing the branch,” Ms. Wiss said.

The move prepared her to form a Raymond James independent team with two colleagues called Lumen Wealth Group in 2017, which manages $100 million in assets.

Along her career path, she secured a Series 24 license and served as pres-ident of the Los Angeles chapter of the Financial Planning Association, where she initiated unique networking events for women advisers, such as group manicures.

“Fun activities allow you to know each other on a personal level,” she said. “Networking shouldn't be just happy hour."

She is currently chairwoman of the board for the chapter.


C. REED NATALI has undertaken the study of benevolence by becoming a chartered adviser in philanthropy.

“Philanthropy is important to [my clients] and they appreciate that it's also important to me,” said Mr. Natali, who also is a certified financial planner and chartered financial analyst. He is involved in strategy and marketing, and is being promoted to partner this year.

“I do grassroots events and I am always out networking,” he said.

He also participates in group philan-thropic efforts with Pittsburgh charities.

“Volunteering translates into better conversations with my clients or pros-pects,” Mr. Natali said. “There's also the practical aspect of philanthropy, such as the tax implications of various gift types.”

On the Financial Literacy Outreach Committee of the CFA Society’s Pitts-burgh Chapter, Mr. Natali spearheads eight to 10 presentations a year to high school students.

“The earlier you build good financial habits, the better, but I’ve always felt it’s a subject not taught enough in schools,” he said.


BRANDT KUHN combined modern and old-fashioned skills to make his mark in the Palm Springs, Calif.,-area. The region has been growing rapidly, he said, attracting both older vacation-home owners and young families.

His recipe for building up his business over the past 10 years?“Developing my tech knowledge and shaking hands and kissing babies,” said Mr. Kuhn,

33, managing director and partner with Beacon Pointe Wealth Advisors. “During the big social season of November through April, I make sure I’m at everything.”

He’s also very involved with the community, serving on the executive board of the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce and helping to raise funds for the local recreation district. He also recruits younger people to nonprofit boards.

Now a seasoned professional and networker, Mr. Kuhn shared some lessons learned:• Stay consistent with the message you put out in the marketplace.• Focus on the positive, especially through challenging times.• Don’t rely on just one mentor; seek out many role models. “Always talk to successful business people, even outside the industry,” he said. “You

can take a nugget of knowledge from each successful person you interact with.”— Deborah Nason

JULIA WISS FOUNDING PARTNER AND FINANCIAL ADVISER, LUMEN WEALTH GROUP

C. REED NATALIFINANCIAL ADVISER,SHOREBRIDGE WEALTH MANAGEMENT

BRANDTKUHNMANAGING DIRECTOR AND PARTNER, BEACON POINTE WEALTH ADVISORS

35 38

33

WHERE THE 40s WORK

RIA55%

WIREHOUSE5%

HYBRID8%

INSURANCE COMPANY

2%

AFFILIATED WITH IBD

20%

BANK5%

OTHER5%


BEING FLEXIBLE led Sahil Vakil, founder of MYRA Wealth, from aerospace engineering to financial advising for immigrants.

While finishing up a master's degree in electrical engineering, he audited an MBA finance class for personal interest and to expand his job prospects in a tight job market. It was a good idea, as it helped him land an aerospace consulting posi-tion with Ernst & Young in 2008.

As the economic meltdown proceeded, Mr. Vakil got pulled into more and more financial services projects and became interested enough in the investment manage-ment industry to independently pursue a chartered financial analyst designation.

“As an immigrant to the U.S., I felt totally overwhelmed in terms of financial planning, and I couldn’t find one person who specialized in personal finances for people in my situation,” said Mr. Vakil, who grew up in Mumbai, India. “I realized there was a gap in the industry.”

Mr. Vakil decided to address that gap and launched his practice in response, naming his firm in honor of his newborn daughter, Myra.

He also gives back to the indus-try by serving on the XY Planning Network advisory board, the CFP Board’s mentoring program, as well as on several industry diversi-ty and inclusion committees.

— Deborah Nason

SAHIL VAKILFOUNDER AND CEO, MYRA WEALTH

35

Yuki Igarashi

Financial Advisor

Seattle

DEDICATED TO OUR CLIENTS.

NOT SALES QUOTAS.

At Edward Jones, there are no competing interests in our

business model—financial advisors are our only profit center.

Which means they are free to focus exclusively on building

their practices and serving their clients. Not individual

product lines or sales quotas. Meet the Edward Jones of now.

Visit edwardjones.com/knowmore

Craig Fehr, CFA

Investment Strategist

Edward Jones does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability,

sexual orientation, pregnancy, veterans status, genetic information or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

“EXPERIENCE MATTERS, but it’s not always tied to the age of the individual,” said Aaron Scha-ben, executive vice president and managing partner at Carson Wealth Management Group. “We value diverse people and thoughts. And diversity can be race, sex, gender, age or upbringing.”

This expanded view of diversity has served Mr. Scha-ben well. He joined Carson as an adviser soon after college, then left for a brief stint with a family business. He eventually returned to the firm as managing director of strategic opportu-nities, and in this capacity he launched Carson Partners. He's grown the subsidiary, which provides partnership services to advice firms, from one to more than 90 partners.

In 2018, he was promoted to managing partner and heir apparent to founder Ron Carson.Mr. Schaben has helped other young colleagues establish a career path. “They say, ‘I

want to be in leadership,’ but what they really mean is they want to have influence — that’s how you can add value,” he said.

— Deborah Nason

AARON SCHABEN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND MANAGING PARTNER, CARSON GROUP

33


MIRANDA REITER first became interested in financial planning during a retail bank management training program, her first job after college. She did not get the chance to follow that career track, however, and after a few years in consumer banking, she left to pursue different opportunities.

Her path to her current roles as a financial adviser with USAA, where she serves military members, and as a Ph.D. student in financial planning at Kansas State University, was anything but direct.

Over the next 10 years, Ms. Reiter earned a master's degree in public administration; conducted development work in Africa — in French; taught international undergraduate students; and finally returned to financial planning, which had never left her mind and heart.

Now she is combining her passion for teaching, helping clients individual-ly, and conducting research to advance the diversity and inclusion of women and minorities in the profession overall.

Why is research important to the industry?“The work advisers do is very practice-oriented, and we tend to look at

things from our direct experience,” she said. “Research helps us see what’s happening from a larger perspective. It brings a different level of insight to inform their practices, and it makes the industry stronger.”

— Deborah Nason

LEYLA MORGILLO is on the fast track to partner status at Madison Financial Plan-ning Group in Syracuse, N.Y. She started with the firm in 2013 as a back-office practice manager.

“I was doing it all, but in a support role to two advisers,” she said. After securing her certified financial planner designation in 2016, Ms. Morgillo began

interfacing with clients as a full-fledged adviser. Since then, the firm has grown 10% annually, largely due to introductions from existing clients. The team now has $200 million in assets under management.

Through her alma mater, Syracuse University, Ms. Morgillo provides pro bono financial planning to military veterans twice a year.

“I feel strongly about wanting to help people who don't have access to these types of services,” she said.

Ms. Morgillo serves as membership committee chair and vice president of the Finan-cial Planning Association of Central New York.

“I’m planning evening events for younger advisers who may not have the flexibility to leave work during the day to attend local monthly luncheons,” she said.


BRADY RAANES was inspired to enter financial services by his parents, who are both certified financial planners.

Mr. Raanes, also a CFP and a chartered financial analyst, specializes in generational planning.

“We retain assets by developing relationships with the heirs and ben-eficiaries of our aging clients before they pass,” he said.

In the process of adopting two sons, from Ghana and the Congo, Mr. Raanes co-launched a socially con-scious family wine business that sends proceeds to charities that benefit Africa.

“It runs like a wine co-op where we source grapes from different vine-yards, then sell direct to consumer,” he said.

As president of the Pinebelt Foundation, Mr. Raanes raises money to increase financial literacy by inviting guest experts to speak at an annual investment outlook dinner.

He also prepares local students to participate in the Mississippi Council on Economic Education’s Stock Market Game.

“My co-workers and I volunteer to lecture in classrooms and award priz-es to the winning student groups and teachers,” Mr. Raanes said.


“I DIDN’T HAVE my own bed until my freshman year of college, and I never had my own room until soph-omore year,” said Luis Rosa, founder of Build a Better Financial Future.

A stellar example of an American success story, Mr. Rosa immigrated to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic when he was 11 years old, along with his parents, five siblings and two grandparents. All 10 shared a one-bedroom apartment, with kids sharing beds for many years. Yet all six children graduated from college or trade schools and became professionals.

Mr. Rosa is a proud role model to younger Latino professionals. About 40% of his clients are Hispanic and he connects with them on many levels, including:

• A common mother language. Even though most interactions are in English, he uses greetings and expressions that make clients feel at home.

• Cultural norms, such as it being "non-negotiable" for children to help their parents or younger siblings.

• And shared backgrounds. Mr. Rosa understands what it is like for immigrant clients to face discrimination and come up in a world with no safety nets.

“I’m thankful every day for being in this country, and I feel it’s my responsibility to help the next generation,” he said.

— Deborah Nason

BRADY RAANESDIRECTOR OF INVESTMENT STRATEGY, RAANES CAPITAL ADVISORS

LUIS F. ROSAFOUNDER AND FINANCIAL PLANNER, BUILD A BETTER FINANCIAL FUTURE

LEYLA MORGILLOFINANCIAL PLANNER, MADISON FINANCIAL PLANNING GROUP

38

39

MIRANDA REITERFINANCIAL ADVISER, USAA

38

29PETS OF THE 40s

Guinea pig: 1

Cat: 1

Mini donkeys: 2

Dogs: 25

Goats: 7

Horses: 4

AFTER SPENDING about 18 months in entry-level jobs in large financial institutions processing insurance applications, cold-calling and doing back-office work in his 20s, Bill Weydemeyer had two realizations. One, that the financial industry is a part of everyone’s lives, and two, that he wanted to be more client-facing as a big fish in a small pond.

Since joining The Colony Group 13 years ago, he has thrived, working his way up to vice president and senior wealth adviser.

“I was in part drawn to financial planning because I saw my parents buying bonds, saving for my college education, taking simple vacations and the choices they made about where to live,” said Mr. Weydemeyer, who grew up around the cranberry bogs in rural southeast Massachusetts.

For the past five years, he has volunteered with the Midas Collaborative, which works to build financial security for low- and moderate-income residents across Massachusetts. He has served as a board member, a fundraiser and as a consultant to the financial coaches.

“It’s been eye-opening to see how well financial planning works across all different socio-economic levels,” he said. “It can make an even bigger difference when you don’t have a lot of money."

— Deborah Nason

WITH THE SOUL of a teacher and the drive of an Olympian, Tyrone Ross has risen from an impoverished background to become an accomplished adviser and entrepre-neur, known especially for his expertise in crypto assets.

Mr. Ross, the first one in his family to graduate from high school, credits his track coach with keeping him focused on school and developing his athletic talent, which he parlayed into statewide honors and participation in Olympic trials. College and graduate school followed, along with stints at wirehouses.

While he appreciates his outward success, Mr. Ross, managing partner at Noble-bridge Wealth Management, carries within him the trauma of poverty and strives not just for himself but for other families born into poverty.

“I care about providing financial services for all people,” he said. “I have a larger book of those who can’t pay than those who do.”

Diversity should not just be about race and gender; it must include the poor, he said.“My life’s mission is to let people know they’re not being forgotten,” Mr. Ross said.

“The narrative needs to change that we don’t help the poor because they don’t have any money.”

— Deborah Nason

A SELF-CONFIDENT and visionary person of action, Grant Webster is not afraid to aim high. When he decid-ed some years ago to seek out a mentor, he cold-called Dale Yahnke, one of the most prominent advisers in San Diego, to ask him. Mr. Yahnke agreed. Four years later, Mr. Webster joined his mentor to become a lead adviser at Dowling & Yahnke.

Similarly, in 2016, he started a leadership devel-opment program within Junior Achievement of San Diego County that he hopes to take national.

As a long-time volunteer with the organization, teaching personal finance and career awareness to underprivileged youth, Mr. Webster noticed the lack of young leaders on the nonprofit’s board. Seeing no one under 50 on the board, he started a junior board, now up to 20 people.

“One of the advantages is networking with high-level executives in San Diego,” he said. “The goal is to have [the young people] graduate to the main board.”

The program also addresses the need for young professionals to build up their busi-ness credibility.

“It wasn’t until two years ago that I stopped being asked my age,” Mr. Webster said. “Once you have a story to tell about your career and your background, they stop asking.”

— Deborah Nason

LAURIE STEFANOWICZ advises clients at Catamount Wealth Management in Westport, Conn., but she handles money differently than most.

“I don’t just put people in models,” she said. “I connect with my clients on a personal and professional level.”

Her unique style of advising emerged after playing professional soccer with the Atlanta Beat for one year.

“When you step on the field, you're setting goals constantly,” Ms. Stefanowicz said. “Every game's different. You need a strategy to beat each team. That’s what I apply to my clients on a regular basis.”

In addition to being senior vice president and managing partner, she helps to educate as many women as possible about finances. In 2012, her goal was to help teach 2,012 women.

Although Ms. Stefanowicz has stopped counting, she’s made the same effort in subsequent years.

“Just last quarter I presented 25 seminars,” said Ms. Stefanowicz, who serves as vice-chair on the board of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School.

She also helps Caroline House build awareness and fundraise for women and chil-dren to reach their potential through learning English and life skills.


GRANT WEBSTERLEAD ADVISER, DOWLING & YAHNKE

LAURIE STEFANOWICZSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND MANAGING PARTNER, CATA-MOUNT WEALTH MANAGEMENT

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BILL WEYDEMEYERVICE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR WEALTH ADVISER, THE COLONY GROUP

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TYRONE ROSSMANAGING PARTNER, NOBLEBRIDGE WEALTH MANAGEMENT


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